[Livnletcarsliv]

Globally, while the share of EVs are increasing in the overall vehicles sold per month/year for many countries, going with the current trend, it is just a matter of couple of years before the EV sales will eventually overtake the ICE sales. Having said that, globally the result and the experience of the early EV adopters are kind of mixed and the actual impact vs expected impact is still ambiguous. So whether the growth of EVs will continue at the same pace is still a question mark.

Given the current situation (and considering the future), will you still buy an EV as a one car garage (In India >99% of car garages are still 1 car garages)? Yes or no - Why and what is your rationale? If yes, will you STILL use the same EV for as long as you would use an ICE car (say 6-7years)?

PS1 - For fair discussion, let us consider the cost an EV is at least 20%-50% more expensive than the same ICE variant. The difference in the cost of a Tucson Diesel AWD and Ioniq 5 is about 5 lakhs approx.

PS - This is not a poll discussion on whether EVs are good for the environment or not. This is about the practical use case of EVs, especially in India.

[ashivas89]

Right now? no. ICE cars are far more compelling in most areas when it comes to long distance driving , especially in India. Even a simple Bangalore-Goa trip needs a lot of planning with an EV and will take too long.

Maybe.. when EVs are more compelling (FTD on long drives, price, decent range despite cruising at 120, reliable charging infrastructure, the usual suspects..) in the segment I shop in after 7/8 years.

[wilful]

Until the time comes when we have ample charging stations, reasonably priced EVs with decent range and charging time similar to getting a car filled with gas in a gas station - NO.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Depends on the EV in question. I will need something like Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 as my bare minimum for a one car garage. WLTP range of 450km +. Anything lesser will not do.

[shankar.balan]

I fancifully consider my Petrol AT Thar as my ‘Go Anywhere, Anytime, Grand Tourer’. Basis my experience of it in the last 26 months, I can reliably get anywhere from 400-525 kms range out of it on a Highway or general hill trip drive before refilling. (I don’t like letting the tank get too close to empty). (This also means I cannot drive to Hyderabad from Bangalore (590kms) without getting anxious and refilling Petrol!

In this circumstance, a proper Grand Touring EV, with a similar real world range, would be lovely to have some day (considering that the EV revolution seems to be both inevitable as well as inexorable!).

There is presently a lack of proliferation of enough Fast Chargers along highways, rural areas, hill stations and other places. But obviously there are lots of Dino-Juice Junctions (Fuel Stations). The time taken to charge up is also not as short and quick as the process of refilling fuel is. I don’t particularly like breaking journey too often and for too long either . These circumstances cause range anxiety. (This is a less logic and more psychological distress situation really. Especially considering that some of the modern day Touring EV’s have a similar real world range as my Thar offers.)

There is also a lot of practical stuff with Hybrids and a lot of discussion around Hydrogen Fuel Cell. I wonder what the future of these are going to be. I am definitely more inclined towards this direction, to be honest.

The Jeep Wrangler 4XE plug in hybrid seems to be doing a good job, if TFL on YouTube is to be believed. I am sure that Mahindra Thar or Scorpio N or one-of these will also come up with better plug in hybrids and EV solutions which have a long range and are able to charge quickly and fulfill the go anywhere character and need!.

However, all things considered, until the situation becomes a bit clearer, say in 4 or 5 years or so from now and considering also that I am a stick-in-the-mud, quasi-Luddite when it comes to EV’s, I will purposely hold off on EV technology and continue to use the various antediluvian Dino-Juice powered machines that I own.

[youknowitbetter]

It's quite doable. Research shows that majority of the cars are driven for very short distance on a day to day basis. Also, on an overall basis, Indians don't own 2 cars and in most of the cases where 2 cars are owned, it is generally an old car which is not disposed off so that someone is family can learn driving etc. etc.

Base line being that very few people who own car regularly drive long distance. Hence, I wouldn't completely rule it out.

[Gansan]

I will buy one that has a 400 km range, I am just waiting for the market to mature some more. I will buy an EV car and two wheeler when I have to replace my current rides.

[CArspeed]

Not at this point of time. Would not want to pay a premium as an early adapter.
I am also not expecting any sort of price correction of EV vehicles as the market matures. But I expect the premium pricing to come down but at the same time I am also sceptical about the government concessions when the market matures.
There is a big compromise in EV’s on the rear seat comfort which is a big no. The EV technology as a whole car is still in the nascent stage.

[revsperminute]

Still view EVs as gadgets of convenience. All good for taking me from point A to B within the city but would I take one on a midnight drive to Lonavala or a corner carving session on an early Sunday morning? No chance.

We tried to adopt the MG ZS EV as a city runabout but it was an epic fail. Turns out, neither me or my dad are particularly fond of the driving habits of an EV. Add the early adopter premium that EV buyers are paying currently, it does not make sense to buy a car which is compromised in nature.

[GTO]

I would not have a one-car garage of any car, so just an EV is a far-fetched thought. Voted NO. My ideal & perfect garage is with a mix of all 3 types of engines = turbo-petrol, turbo-diesel & electric power.

Even if I buy an EV with a 500-km range, charging is a big pain on the highway. Forget in India, even in the USA, EV owners keep complaining (sole exception = Tesla owners due to their terrific charging network). Wait times are long, pricing is on par or more expensive than petrol, software bugs & niggles while charging, availability of charging stations, time wastage, excessive planning needed etc.

Not to forget, if you drive an EV at 120 kmph, there is a drastic reduction in range as compared to cruising at 80 - 90 kmph. I don't know about you, but I don't cruise at 80 - 90 kmph on the expressway. Porsche solved this problem in the Taycan with a 2-speed gearbox for high speed efficiency, but all the mainstream EVs don't have that.

And in India, we have other unique problems. If I take my EV to Pawna & there is a 12-hour power cut in that rural area, what the hell am I going to do?

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

it is just a matter of couple of years before the EV sales will eventually overtake the ICE sales.

Petrol cars are going to be around for a minimum of 20 years in India. They aren't going anywhere. Diesel, on the other head, is already battered, bruised and in the hospital. Diesel will move to the ICU in a few years, after which they'll be dead.

[ninjatalli]

Voted a big resounding YES.

But the question is not if but rather when. Today I wouldn't be fine with one-EV-garage but in a few (2-3) years, definitely. My garage has always been one-car based, so an EV is going to be the next vehicle to replace my diesel S-Cross.

Back in 2020 if somebody has asked me this question, I would have assumed by mid-2023 EVs would have become more mainstream (than they are now). I guess the question is a getting to the day of adoption and acceptance for EVs when they will be considered on an even level with petrol & diesel options. We currently are much ahead on that curve with 2-wheelers; eventually we'll get that for cars too.

Originally Posted by GTO

And in India, we have other unique problems. If I take my EV to Pawna & there is a 12-hour power cut in that rural area, what the hell am I going to do?

Same thing if there's a sudden petrol pump strike for 12 hours in the area and one is out of fuel (petrol/diesel) in the car; there will be always innovative 'jugaad' alternatives (e.g. 3rd party battery backup based charging options at a premium rate) that will come up. We just haven't reach that stage yet.

[windrider]

Voted NO. I wouldn't buy an EV if I had a single car garage. Its just not practical. Kerala, and most parts of India ,except metros maybe, have too many power cuts, too many traffic jams and very poor EV charging infrastructure. So many of the Electric Autorickshaw drivers have been financially ruined by trying to run them. There are loads of videos on YouTube where you can see them literally crying because of the lack of serviceability and charging options once you move out of highly developed metro cities. A lot of people who went the EV route are also screwed now because India just doesn't have the infrastructure to sustain EVs at the moment.

What would you do if you are travelling long distances, run out of charge, decide to pull up to a charging station(if you are able to find one) and see a long line of other users waiting to charge their vehicles? You could be stranded for hours. Another problem with EVs is that if any problems arise while on the go, they cannot be diagnosed and repaired by any roadside mechanic or garage. They need a high level of expertise and specialty tools to even work on them. Also EVs have like a 100+ sensors and everything is controlled by software. Being a EEE engineer, I can tell you finding issue and rectifying them on EVs is a real pain and cannot be done by yourself unless you have very expensive diagnostic tools and very good knowledge about what you are doing. There are numerous examples on TBHP itself of people getting stranded because of electrical gremlins and software issues that appear and disappear out of nowhere and I am talking about regular vehicles and not EVs.

IMHO, stick to ICE automobiles for as long as the Govt permits. Get an EV two wheeler for your grocery and office runs. As for me, I am very happy living with my 9 yr old Alto k10, 15 yr old Honda city and 11 yr old Unicorn. I have more than enough headaches in my life being caused by electronic devices I currently use, not planning on adding any more for the foreseeable future.

[pkulkarni.2106]

Nope. Not at least now. If an EV has to be the only car in my garage, it must have real-world range of at least 500 KM on a single charge. It seems the options are thin as of today (even if there are, they're out of budget).

[GTO]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Same thing if there's a sudden petrol pump strike for 12 hours in the area and one is out of fuel (petrol/diesel) in the car

Not the same thing. In the last 13 years of my going to Pawna, I have never once seen a petrol pump strike there. However, power cuts are encountered on almost every visit.

And the difference is, I can always call for fuel in a jerrycan from nearby. Portable charging in a rural area? Lot more challenging. Charging a 400-km EV with portable charging? You'll need to have the patience of God, as compared to 5-minutes in a jerrycan.

Even in a city like Pune, power cuts are way too commonplace. Petrol pump strikes? Not so.

The fact is, it is way easier to be stranded in a remote area with an EV's dead battery than a petrol / diesel car. EVs have several advantages over ICE cars, but highway / rural charging is not one of them. Not by a longshot.

[rsidd]

I have always had a single car garage. One day I may have a zero-car garage. If I were buying a car today it would be an EV, so I voted yes. But I'm not getting rid of my current car as long as it runs well. I do 8000-10000 km/year these days (and perhaps another 5000-7000 km/year on bicycle). To improve my green footprint I will aim to reduce the former and increase the latter.